Devry SOCS185 All Assignments Latest 2020 March

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 1 Assignment

SOCIOLOGICAL IMAGINATION ASSIGNMENT

Our decisions do not simply result from what philosophers call free will. Sociology teaches us that the social world guides our life choices in much the same way that the physical world influences our choice of clothing or the type of food we feel like eating. C. Wright Mills pointed to the power of what he called the sociological imagination to help us understand everyday events. As he saw it, society, not people's personal failings, is the main cause of poverty and other social problems.

For this assignment, explain how a personal problem can be caused by a larger social issue. It can be a problem that you, a friend or family member, or someone you have read about has experienced. Describe the situation, putting both the personal problem and the larger social issue in boldface, and then explain the relationship in terms of cause and effect. Limit your response to a single double-spaced page.

Remember to submit your assignment for grading.

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 2 Assignment

CULTURE AND MEDIA ASSIGNMENT

From our own ethnocentric perspective, other cultures may appear strange or different. But to an outsider, so does ours. From a cultural relativist perspective, different ways of doing things are simply different.

Using the concept of cultural relativism as a foundation, consider the following. What are aspects of your culture that you can identify in the context of what we are reading this week? Once you identify a culture that represents you, you will submit a written analysis that describes your culture.

This assignment will be two pages in length (not including your cultural example), follow APA standards, and will include a link to a video, image, or another form of media that represents your cultural identity. For examples of cultural identity, see page 49 in the textbook for additional guidance.  

Don't forget to submit your assignment.

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 3 Assignment

THE AMERICAN DREAM

The purpose of this assignment is to help you better understand concepts related to social stratification and social mobility.

What have you learned from this week's reading about social stratification? How has this week's reading influenced your thoughts on the American Dream? In your response, identify material from the reading that pertains to and explain the following.

A definition of social stratification

At least one sociological theory that best explains your own perspective about social mobility

The relationship between culture and social mobility

Your response should be two to three pages and include specific examples, a detailed analysis, and reasoning to support your claims.

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 6 Assignment

CASE STUDY: INTERSECTIONALITY AND WORKPLACE DIVERSITY

This scenario allows you to incorporate the concept of intersectionality as you consider the identities of each participant in this case study.

It takes place at work among a group of fellow employees. As part of this case study, we will take a look at the interaction between a few employees and how these interactions reflect, challenge, or complicate their intersectional identities. To help assess the situation, you will write a response where you consider the approach to take when the behavior of some employees is deemed inappropriate by another employee. What is the importance of each person's multiple identities in this situation?

Scenario:

You are an employee who overhears conversations among your coworkers. While on break, two male coworkers, Robert and Henry, usually go outside by themselves to talk and smoke a cigarette. Robert is African-American and Henry is Hispanic. One day, Shirley is also outside and overhears bits and pieces of their conversation. Shirley, who is a white woman, is concerned that they regularly have conversations that are inappropriate for the workplace. She says that she overheard these coworkers making crude sexual references about women, sharing images and graphics of a sexist nature on their cell phones.

The matter is brought to the attention of their supervisor, Allen, who is white and male. Allen is also gay. Allen tells Robert and Henry that he is concerned about a potential gender bias in the workplace that makes gender and sexual minorities feel unsafe.

Robert makes a comment to Allen that their conversation was private and that Shirley was not invited into the conversation. He further states that white women are always inserting themselves into other people's business. He feels that he and Henry are being called out on their behavior because they hold lower paid jobs in the organization.

Shirley replies that as one of the few females in the organization, she is often made to feel unsafe in her work environment and that as the only woman involved in this meeting, she feels as though no one is listening to her point of view.

Assignment:

You have been hired as a consultant to this company and have been asked advice on how to handle the situation.

You will need to incorporate a discussion of intersectionality into your response. Refer to Chapter 14.3 Workplace Identities, Interactions, and Inequalities to inform your response.

In a 500-word (minimum) essay using the concepts that you learned from this week's readings, analyze the different ways that sexist behavior is handled in the formal and informal bureaucracy. Address the following items in your essay.

What are the power dynamics in this situation related to the statuses of racial, gender, and sexual identities?

How is each person's point of view valid?

What would you propose as a resolution?

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 8 Assignment

SOCIOAUTOBIOGRAPHY ASSIGNMENT

The purpose of this assignment is to give you the opportunity to apply the sociological imagination to your everyday life and to illustrate the complexities and value of your own intersectionality.  To do so,  that have a broad impact on the socio-cultural structures within which you live. In this assignment, you will reference appropriate Course Objectives (COs) that relate to your Socioautobiography. You can find the COs in this course listed in the Syllabus and in the weekly objectives. This assignment can be related to any and all of the COs.

The Socioautobiography is a reflective paper that allows you the opportunity to explore the interconnections between biography (a slice of someone’s life), the social structure, and culture. In preparation for this paper, please read the Socioautobiography Guidelines posted in the Files section of the Course for detailed assignment instructions and the grading rubric.

SOCS185 Culture and Society

Week 8 Assignment

SOCIOAUTOBIOGRAPHY AUDIO POWERPOINT

In addition to the Socioautobiography paper assignment, students are required to create an Audio PowerPoint (minimum seven to eight slides) that highlights the personal experiences shared in the Socioautobiography paper.

See the instructions for the Audio PowerPoint in the Introduction and Resources Module under Course Resources.

Don't forget to submit your assignment.